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Early attempts on the Pole

By the late 19th century, Antarctica was the last unexplored continent on earth. Unknown whale and seal hunters were probably the first human beings to set foot on the continent, looking for commercial opportunities. Rich Western nations eventually began to take an interest in this inhospitable terrain, with Britain, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France and Belgium all planning expeditions to Antarctica in the early years of the 20th century. They would compete against each other in its discovery, to gain knowledge and claim new territory. The geographical prize was the South Pole - the most remote spot on earth.

The geographical prize was the South Pole - the most remote spot on earth...

Captain Robert Falcon Scott had already been to Antarctica prior to his ill-fated Terra Nova expedition (1910-13). He commanded the Government-funded Discovery expedition (1901-4), which undertook significant scientific work. It was also the first British expedition to make an attempt to reach the Pole. The three-man polar party comprising Scott, his friend Dr Edward Wilson and the young Ernest Shackleton, reached within 660km (410 miles) of the Pole, setting a new 'furthest south' record. Scott returned a hero.

As Scott prepared for his expedition... a rival was secretly planning his own attempt to claim the Pole.

The Norwegian Captain Roald Amundsen was already a celebrated explorer. He had sailed through the North West Passage (1903-6) and was one of the first men to winter south of the Antarctic Circle, on board the Belgica in 1898. His dream as a boy was to be the first man to set foot at the North Pole, but in 1909 there were two American claims to have reached it. The rival explorers bitterly contested each other's claims, but for Amundsen, his dream was shattered. He turned the focus of his Fram expedition (1910-12) to the South Pole, refusing to share his ideas in case people stopped him from making his attempt.

This was all he would learn of the Norwegian's mysterious ambitions. Even Amundsen's men were only told of their leader's plans in Madeira. Amundsen gave them all the option to quit the expedition if they objected, but not one left. Despite the trepidation natural before exploring an unfamiliar continent, the Norwegian team was experienced in Arctic travel, and Amundsen was confident that the skis and dogs used in the Arctic would be just as suitable for travelling across the Antarctic continent.

Amundsen rightly anticipated that there were alternative routes to the Polar Plateau...

The Norwegian expedition arrived further along the Ross Ice Shelf at the Bay of Whales in January 1911, about 640km (400 miles) from the British camp. They took the risk of setting up their base camp, called 'Framheim' (Fram home), on the ice itself. Like the British, Amundsen and his men spent the first months of the expedition making extensive preparations and laying supply depots southwards. However, by using expertly trained dog teams, these vital supplies extended much further south than Scott's did. Amundsen rightly anticipated that there were alternative routes to the Polar Plateau and the Norwegian team pioneered a new route.

Johansen never recovered from this ignominious end to his career and later, after the team had returned to Norway, he committed suicide . Amundsen's handpicked men included his loyal follower, Oscar Wisting, Olav Bjaaland - a skiing champion - and the two expert dog-drivers, Helmer Hanssen and Sverre Hassel. The party finally left for the Pole with over 50 dogs on 20 October.

The horse expert, Captain Oates, clashed with Scott over the welfare of the ponies, which were clearly not suited to the icy terrain and extreme cold. As the ponies weakened, they were shot to provide meat - some were left as food for their return. The march across the ice was slow but the men were generally in good spirits. When Scott ordered the last of the dog teams back to base camp, the men pulled their heavy sledges themselves using man-harnesses. It was exhausting work but Scott believed it was less cruel than using animals and more noble.

All Amundsen had to do now was make sure the men got back to civilisation first with the news...

Relying on the skill of his two expert dog-drivers, Amundsen's party made swift progress up the newly discovered Axel Heiberg Glacier and across the Polar Plateau. At 3pm on 15 December 1911 (the date is sometimes given as 14 December - the difference being due to differing interpretations of the international date line), the Norwegian train halted: they had reached the Pole. Amundsen's diary entry for this momentous occasion was typically succinct:

So we arrived and were able to plant our flag at the geographical South Pole. God be thanked!

Olav Bjaaland took snapshots of the historic moment with his personal camera as Amundsen's expedition camera failed to work. Later, he was drawn into the photographs when they were published around the world. All Amundsen had to do now was make sure the men got back to civilisation first with the news, as he was not sure how close Scott was behind him.

Petty Officer Evans was the first man to die on 17 February - he had stumbled behind the group until he slipped into a coma. A month later on 17 March, Captain Oates, crippled with frostbite, walked out of the party's tent; it was his 32nd birthday. Scott immortalised the courageous army officer in his diary, writing that as he left he said:

I am just going outside and may be some time...

I am just going outside and may be some time... We knew that Oates was walking to his death... it was the act of a brave man and an English gentleman.

A few days later, the three remaining men were lying in their tent waiting for death. A swirling blizzard confined them to their sleeping bags, while One Ton depot lay only 11 miles away. Scott was the only one keeping his diary:

We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity but I do not think I can write more - R Scott.

About the author

Sian Flynn curated the 'South: the race to the Pole' exhibition (September 2000 to January 2002) at the National Maritime Museum, London, bringing together nearly 200 objects relating to Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen, as well as contributing to the accompanying book.

BBC links

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